1/31/13 Mississippi Legislature Considering Tweak to Child Support | BowTieLawyer bowtielawyer.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/mississippi-legislature-considering-tweak-to-child-support/1/2 BowTieLawyer 0 1 /3 1 /2 0 1 3 · 2 :1 5 PM | EDIT Mississippi Legislature Considering Tweak to Child Support There are a few Bills kicking around the legislature that would im pact child support in Mississippi. Senate Bill 2 3 3 8 seeks to broaden the incom e lev els that the child support guidelines are applied. Currently Support is a statutory am ount (see Child Support blog) on incom e if y our incom e is between $5k -$50k per adjusted gross incom e (AGI). This bill seeks to increase the incom e range to $1 0k-$1 00k per y ear, AGI. As the law is currently , if y ou m ake $50k per y ear, AGI, support for one child would be at least $585. This 1 4% of $50k and from there the Court could skew it upwards based on the needs of the child. So, y our obligation would likely be in a broad range from $585 -$1 ,2 00 per m onth, giv e or take, depending on y our incom e. change would m ake the 1 4% apply directly to all sum s ov er $50k up to $1 00k AGI. So, support, at the least, be $1 ,1 66.00 per m onth. This likely would keep higher wage earners support in line with what they are pay ing and is not a substantial change. Senate Bill 2 3 3 9 proposes a m ore significant change. This skews upward all statutory am ounts, as follows; 1 Child from 1 4% to 1 7 % 2 Children from 2 0% to 2 4% 3 Children from 2 2 % to 2 6% 4 Children from 2 4% to 2 8% 5 or m ore Children from 2 6% to 3 0% So in the sam e exam ple from abov e the parent that owed $585 would now owe $7 1 0 in support, and if both then the am ount could be $1 ,41 6 per m onth if the pay ing parent m ade $1 00k AGI. Mississippi has som e of the lowest rates nationally for child support, but also extends the obligation to (2 1 longer than m ost other states, which end support at 1 8 or 1 9. SB 2 3 3 9 also proposes to decrease the age for em ancipation to 1 8, or 1 9, depending upon whether the child has finished high school. This is a significant in the law and would only apply to post July 1 , 2 01 3 , Orders and Judgm ents. Neither are law now and it appear there is a groundswell of support for either, those these changes would m ake Mississippi in line with other states.1/31/13 Mississippi Legislature Considering Tweak to Child Support | BowTieLawyer bowtielawyer.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/mississippi-legislature-considering-tweak-to-child-support/2/2 Stay tuned to see what the “Hissing Possum s” pass. Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney that keeps abreast of the law and changes related thereto. He also abreast and thereto in a sentence and twice referenced to hissing possums, as Saturday Night Live mockingly the Mississippi Legislature. Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer Visit the website: Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@wmtlawfirm.com. Rate this: Rate This BowTie-rrific!: Like 3 TTweeeett 1 StumbleUpon 1 Press This SShhaarree 1 Print Email More

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